Euro 2008
Spain’s Recipe for Success
You could perhaps forgive Spain for assuming that the hard work is already done having disposed of world champions Italy in the quarter finals. The chaotic scenes that followed Cesc Fabregas’ winning spot kick were reminiscent of a side who had won the tournament, only time will tell if those celebrations prove to be premature. There [...]
You could perhaps forgive Spain for assuming that the hard work is already done having disposed of world champions Italy in the quarter finals. The chaotic scenes that followed Cesc Fabregas’ winning spot kick were reminiscent of a side who had won the tournament, only time will tell if those celebrations prove to be premature.
There is a real feeling within the Spanish camp that this tournament could end in glory after so many years of underachievement and having finally made it past the quarter-finals they could well be right. Certainly the talent within Luis Aragones’ squad is not in question and a highly creative midfield foursome of Silva, Xavi, Iniesta and Senna has been the basis for the Spaniards’ success thus far and they have provided the amunition for the highly effective strike pairing of top scorer David Villa and Fernando Torres.
Certainly Luis Aragones must be given credit for resisiting the urge to place all his creative talent on the field from the start, choosing to start Arsenal dynamo Cesc Fabregas from the bench. In doing so, he has undoubtedly achieved an effective balance between attacking flair and defensive stability. In the form of the excellent Xavi, Aragones possesses one of the most intelligent and talented playmakers in World football and someone he can trust to transform Spain’s galaxy of talented individuals into an efficient attacking unit. Xavi is essentially given the freedom to roam, safe in the knowledge that the exceptional Marcos Senna will be there to clean things up should things break down.
Senna, a naturalised Brazilian, had a superb season for club side Villarreal and has carried that form onto the international scene for his adopted nation and is as responsible as anyone for the position in which Spain now find themselves. Senna’s inclusion ahead of the likes of Xavi Alonso raised eyebrows at the beginning of the tournament though he has more than justified his inclusion in Aragones’ eleven. His ability to break up opposition attacks and then find teammates with laser like precision has been a joy to behold and adds to what makes Spain such an irresistable attacking force.
Though it is not only Xavi who benefits from Senna’s work in front of the back four it also the two widemen, David Silva and Andres Iniesta. Against Italy, the versatility of the two was on full show with the two swapping flanks on numerous occassions to wreak havoc amongst the Italian backline particularly in the closing stages of the first half. Valencia starlet Silva is an exceptional talent and of the four is perhaps the only genuine wideman, he has pace to burn and a wand of a left foot and his experience of playing off the front man at club level allows him to wander into space making it difficult for opposition defenders to track him.
The exceptional Iniesta began his career as the potential heir to Xavi for both Spain and indeed Barcelona though under the tutilage of Frank Rijkaard, Iniesta developed his game playing in the wider positions as opposed to his favoured place in the middle of the park. As a result Iniesta is now a regular for both club and country operating either on the right or left flank. An exceptional passer of the ball, Iniesta already has two assists to his name in this tournament and is given license to drift into space in front of the opposition back four, providing Villa and Torres with plenty of support.
Indeed it is the versatility of the Spanish front six that make them such an efficient attacking side, much in the same vein as Manchester United. Individual talent will only get you so far at this level, as the French will testify, but it is the ability of both the players and the coach to find the right balance that holds the key to success and it certainly appears as though Aragones and his players have found the winning combination.
Tags: Discussion
2 comments for “Spain’s Recipe for Success”
Post a comment
Welcome to Footballing World
Recent Posts
Categories
In Focus
Rafael Da Silva - a seemingly unknown 18-year-old twin snapped up by Manchester United in January. But after starring once again in United's victory over Aalborg, Da Silva is hot property - and is a genuine full-time contender for the right-back spot.
Featured Posts
A review of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers across Europe over the last five days as France toil, England impress and Italy struggle, while there is good news for the continental minnows.
Theo Walcott enjoyed the perfect evening as he tore apart the Croatian defence in England's impressive victory.
Sir Alex Ferguson at last got his man - Dimitar Berbatov arrived at Old Trafford at a hefty price but one, Oli Dinsmore believes, will be repaid in quick time by the talented Bulgarian.
Good article.Very informative
[...] least impressive display, by far, of this superb tournament was their most significant. The penalty victory over Italy in the quarter-finals allayed the doubts inherent in previous Spanish teams. Thrice on June 22nd [...]